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A few weeks ago, I was part of a CMO panel where we fielded this question: “What initiatives do CMOs follow to help their organizations keep pace with the transformative change happening in marketing?” As we shared our answers, I was struck by how essential it has become for CMOs to be strategic about raising their teams to new levels of achievement. We all know today’s marketers need to be constantly driving change within the enterprise –but what some CMOs forget is that marketers, themselves, must also be continually changing, refining their approaches and performance.

When I joined Teradata-Aprimo as CMO nearly three-and-a-half years ago, I was asked to be a change agent to help elevate our marketing to a more strategic function. For the first year-and-a –half, I focused on four “rights,” the:

● Right strategy for the business

● Right marketing organization to support that strategy

● Right scoreboard to measure the organization and tie our efforts to business results

● Right talent (internally and new talent acquisition) to drive the strategy and results

But 18 months in, I realized that the change and transformation we needed still wasn't “done and won.” That’s when I made what I now consider a critical business decision:

I decided to ask for help.

I retained an organizational and executive coach to help me drive the change required for positive results and alignment across our organization.

Two years later, here are a few of the most valuable lessons I learned from working with my coach:

● Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help. Great leaders realize they don't know it all. (Who could?) Although it may seem counterintuitive at first, asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. After all, once the help you need is in place, you are free to direct your attention where you can truly innovate and lead.

● You Gotta Understand Reality. Who in your organization excels at project management, data analysis, team building? You won’t be able to move forward until you optimize the talent around you. We used assessment tools (DiSC, StrengthFinders, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Instrument (TKI), e.g.) to help us improve the communications, partnerships and interactions necessary to drive a higher performing marketing organization. As my coach Debi Mueller, CCP, reminded me (more than once), “Great talent doesn't always equate with great leadership. Someone may be an expert at PR and communications, but that doesn’t mean he/she has the skills to be a good leader.” Develop your team based on each person’s individual reality.

● Accountability Is Everything. CMOs must learn to delegate, and then they must follow-up, holding team members responsible for results. With Debi’s help, I benchmarked my leadership team, and set goals to lead us towards great accountability and openness. I discovered that insisting on accountability didn’t make me a “dictator.” In fact, just the opposite happened. Accountability created the feedback and dialogue required for clarity and collaboration. My team found their agendas have become less cluttered –because responsibilities are now clearly outlined –and that healthy debate reveals better solutions. (Learn more at The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, which is now one of my favorite books.)

● Make The Hard Decisions. Fretting over having to make a decision takes up too much valuable brain space, and if you’re consumed with uncertainty, you can’t focus on the business. Don't put off changes, performance management or organizational restricting because they seem difficult. Naturally, you absolutely need to do your due diligence. But once the way forward is clear, take a breath, trust your gut, and make the hard decisions.

● You're Never Done. My formal coaching sessions have finished, and yet I know that organizational development, talent nurturing and elevating my team to new heights will NEVER be done. Debi pointed out that I was able to find 90 minutes per month to meet with her, and that going forward, I need to be just as disciplined about carving out that same amount of time to continue honing my leadership skills. Reading books (Thanks for the early Christmas present, Debi!), checking in with HBR on a regular basis, Topgrading, journaling –these are all keys to continuing the process. All CMOs need to say agile, continually thinking about new challenges that arise, new ways to improve organizational performance and new methods to drive change.

Do you see leadership training as a strategic priority for your marketing organization? What steps will you be taking in 2013 to make sure your team keeps pace with the transformational change that’s happening across the marketing industry?